Monday
Run – 5 / 1:01 (12:20) / 137avg
Boneyard easy jog in VFFs. Calves super tight again, had to stop halfway for 3-4 minutes and shake them out. Felt better after that.

Tuesday
Run – 10.2 / 1:22 (8:02) / 148avg
Another routine 10 miler. The body is slowly starting to remember. Dealing with a little bit of a heel flare-up, though.

Wednesday
Run – 8.7 / 1:15 (8:43) / 155avg
Really stoked with this one. It’s not like I set the world on fire or anything, but I’m slowly starting to get some legs back. Went into it a bit tired, but wanted to push a little given the easy day coming up tomorrow. I thought doing a solid 8 miles on this course (very winding and hilly singletrack + some XC) at a 50k effort level would be nice. I guessed that would be at a heart rate in the high 150s and if I was lucky my pace would be around 8:30.

1.95 miles per lap
16:12 (8:22) 159avg
17:04 (8:45) 159avg
16:35 (8:26) 157avg
15:55 (8:09) 163avg

To end up with 7.8 in 1:06 (8:28) 160avg. Ya, pretty slow, but on this terrain it was good for me. I pretty much nailed my prediction. I felt relaxed and in control. Now I just need to get back to where I can hold that effort for 50k, then 50M. It’s a start…

Wednesday
Run – 2 / :18 (9:29) / 140avg
Did a few barefoot laps around a soccer field for a cool down.

Thursday
Bike – 20.7 / 1:17 (16mph) / 125avg
Easy spin on the mtb.

Friday
Run – 21.2 / 3:23 (9:35) / 138avg
Long run home from work in the dark. Very pleasant day, 68 in January! My legs felt good and strong. I would loved to have run for another hour or so, but both of my heels were complaining loudly. The achilles were super tight and giving off quite the burning sensation.

I really like this bit about long runs I found on the McMillan site. While it is geared towards marathon training, I like it because of the part about running for home. I tend to do that a lot, really pound the last few miles. This makes me think it is better to just keep the effort even and finish when you finish:

The purpose is simply time on your feet. Challenging your ability to keep running improves your endurance and is a cornerstone of distance training. While there are debates on just how long and fast your long run should be, the general recommendation is that you keep your heart rate around 70% of maximum. They are slow runs with the challenge of simply running a steady pace for the entire duration of the run. Keep the effort easy and resist the temptation to increase the pace just to get home sooner. Give the body time to really feel the stimulus of a long run. It will reward you with greater endurance adaptations that will serve you well in later workouts and races.

Saturday
Run – 3 / :30 (10:00) / 122avg
Easy treadmill. Legs feel great after yesterday’s long run. Both heels are feeling it, though.

Sunday
Bike – 20.7 / 1:09 (17.9) / 155avg
Rode the mtb back to work to pick up my car. The speed doesn’t really show it, but this was a harder effort with a lot of hills.  Felt good to stand up and hammer them.

Run – 50.1 / 7:51
Bike – 41.4 / 2:27